Live updates and results from primary election night

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Frank Beard, the drummer for the Texas boogie-rock trio 

 who kept the tempo for the band’s biggest hits like “Sharp Dressed Man,” “Legs” and “Gimme All Your Lovin,’” has died. He was 77.

Beard was in hospice care when he died Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family members at his side, according to publicist Bob Merlis. Band co-founder and guitarist Billy Gibbons, on tour with bassist Elwood Francis, hailed Beard in a statement.

“Today, Elwood and I lost a great friend and collaborator, and the world lost one of the most naturally innovative drummers and a great and true son of Texas. His signature backbeat was key to keeping ZZ on top. The band of which he was part for six decades is going to keep on keeping on as he had wished,” Gibbons said.

ZZ Top sold more than 50 million records and had six singles that reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Seven of their albums have been in the Billboard 200’s Top 10 and they earned three Grammy Award nominations.

“I’ve found the people I was meant to play with,” Beard says in the 2019 documentary “ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas.” “I never wanted to quit, and never wanted to get fired.”

Arts and Culture

Music

Homepage

The Associated Press

Author

Frank Beard, the drummer for ZZ Top, has died at 77. He passed away Tuesday at his ranch in Richmond, Texas, with family by his side. ZZ Top sold over 50 million records and had six No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Frank Beard, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer of boogie-rock trio ZZ Top, dies at 77

Go Deeper.

Like this?

News you can use in your inbox